What do you mean, HomeKit?

But in the end what HomeKit will be able to do, the actual work of what is, these information is rarely published Apple, but with a number of third-party accessories manufacturers in the conference ventilation only, the typical Apple style. But it doesn't matter, we have a way to get some information about HomeKit from the accessory manufacturer.

1. Do not expect HomeKit related accessories to be listed soon. Although we saw dozens of kinds of smart home accessories at CES, only three were really compatible with HomeKit. None of the other vendors have been invited or accepted to be compatible with HomeKit, and some have claimed that they are "in the process of developing ...". In general, some of Apple's new features before the listing will be first with the accessories manufacturers ventilation, this time is no exception. Apple had had a meeting with several large gadget makers in January 2014, when HomeKit and IOS 8 had not even been released. But surprisingly, the three compatible HomeKit vendors in the show were some newly established companies, and old Apple partners such as Belkin seem to have not been invited.

2. HomeKit will provide only basic functionality, at least for the time being. At CES, it was also learned from HomeKit developers that HomeKit may be limited to a two-dollar operation. Therefore, you may turn off the lights or turn on the lights, but there is no way to adjust the brightness of the lights. This does not mean, of course, that the HomeKit accessories will not be able to perform more advanced operations through their own ancillary applications, but it seems unlikely to be possible to carry out more advanced tasks through HomeKit or Siri.

3. Siri will be an important feature of HomeKit. Apple has previewed some of the HomeKit features at the conference, but the most talked about is the integration with Siri. Because this is the real feature of HomeKit, is a third-party application can not replicate features. The user can use the Voice command Siri to "turn off the bedroom light".

4. HomeKit will greatly simplify installation and configuration procedures. Third-party accessories compatible HomeKit also has a great advantage, is easy to install and integrate HomeKit accessories. As a native feature, with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connection, HomeKit can quickly find Third-party accessories, users do not need complex installation procedures, but also without traditional manual connection and matching equipment. In addition, HomeKit will allow users to control multiple accessories in only one interface.

5. HomeKit Most of the time working in the background. Although HomeKit with iOS 8, it is not an "app" for iOS 8 and will not replace the use of third-party accessories. Each manufacturer also needs to provide an auxiliary program to control its own accessories. However, HomeKit enables users to quickly control smart homes, such as Siri, iOS positioning, and so on, using the back-office function. It is not clear how flexible each corresponding Third-party application controls other vendor's accessories, but the framework does support cross application control. In fact, even developers without hardware development can use HomeKit to create functions that are controlled by HomeKit, not limited to the matching applications of the binding accessories vendors.

6. Apple TV will be the hub of HomeKit. Users can directly control the smart home through IOS 8 devices, but that is only within the range of home Wi-Fi, if out, then need a transit hub to bridge. Apple has added code to the Apple TV software update, which seems to be a hub for Apple TV. may be integrated with ICloud, ready to be activated. Of course, Apple TV is not a required device to use HomeKit, but more advanced HomeKit operations can be one of the incentives for users to buy Apple TV.

7. HomeKit will support Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE Bridge. The HomeKit supports direct pairing with Bluetooth Le and also provides a standard for bridging Bluetooth le connection to Wi-Fi. For example, this allows the Bluetooth LE lock to be accessed through home Wi-Fi without having to establish a separate Wi-Fi transceiver. Bridging devices and remote Bluetooth Le devices usually need to be certified by Apple's HomeKit, but Wi-Fi to Bluetooth Le Bridge can be incorporated into accessories for other purposes. At least one part of the company is developing such switch products to achieve this, making Bluetooth LE access point for HomeKit Wi-Fi network, avoiding the need for users to purchase dedicated bridging products for this purpose.

8. HomeKit is primarily focused on safety. HomeKit accessories Manufacturers point out that Apple's specifications for this new technology will be heavily focused on security and privacy, with a very strong encryption key, the need for a special hardware chip, must be the majority of MFi accessories standard required Apple certification chip. On the iOS level, HomeKit's pairing and verification credentials will be stored in the iOS key chain, encrypted in the same way as the password. Third-party applications that want to access the user's HomeKit also need to go through the user's "consent", similar to the same privacy settings as photos, contacts, positioning, and so on. "HomeKit" will also appear in the IOS Privacy settings menu bar to view and control third-party applications that have been authorized to access HomeKit.

9. HomeKit will need new hardware accessories. Existing accessories will not be able to use any firmware upgrades to enable HomeKit. Apple focuses on security and authentication chips, which means that vendors need to design new hardware to support HomeKit. According to sources, Apple's stringent design requirements essentially require HomeKit products to be almost completely redesigned to meet Apple's specifications. This makes it easier to design from scratch, rather than upgrading existing products to support HomeKit. This may explain why we did not see Apple inviting any existing home automation company to provide first-generation HomeKit products. This also makes us believe that most HomeKit products will specialize in supporting HomeKit, rather than simply adding HomeKit to other home automation protocols such as Z-Wave. In other words, once a product in the hardware level to obtain Apple's HomeKit certification, in the future with the HomeKit feature set expansion, you may also be able to add more features through the firmware upgrade.

10. Apple will allow certain traditional home automation equipment to be bridged. A recent report said Apple would allow some HomeKit equipment to bridge to HomeKit. It appears that support for HomeKit devices will be extremely limited, and Bluetooth LE devices are limited to passive sensing devices such as door sensors and environmental monitoring equipment. It is speculated that for security reasons, any device that can control a home, from a light bulb to a door lock, will be supported after the actual HomeKit certification.